Details

Stradella is discovered in a gondola with some of his music students as they sing a serenade to his beloved Leonore. She appears and warns him against her guardian, Bassi, a rich Venetian who has incarcerated her and plans to marry her against her will. Stradella and Leonore take advantage of a carnival procession to elope. Stradella leads Leonore to the wedding ceremony. Malvolio, a bandit who has been engaged by Bassi to assassinate Stradella, arrives and finds his associate the bandit Barbarino, is there with the same mandate. They introduce themselves as pilgrims and Stradella sings a romance which describes the compassion and kindness that lie deep in the hearts of all robbers and bandits who help the poor and grant asylum to the wandering minstrel. Malvolio and Barbarino abandon their murderous plan. Bassi appears to check whether his instructions have been carried out. He increases his fee and they agree to perform the task. The three conspirators creep up on Stradella just as he starts rehearsing for the festival of the Virgin Mary the following day. The assassins are once again so overwhelmed that they all kneel down and join in song. Leonore enters just as Stradella notices them kneeling with daggers drawn. Bassi makes an emotional confession and Stradella forgives the bandits. On a hill near Rome Stradella is borne on a litter to the picture of the Madonna. There the pilgrims await the divine grace that his music will elicit. First performed on 30 December 1844 at the Stadttheater, Hamburg.

Creatives/Company

Music: Friedrich Flotow
Lyrics: Friedrich Reise